NEW BRUNSWICK - A 25-year-old Edison man has pleaded guilty to theft of movable property for his participation in an international computer scam that bilked 83 senior citizens from several states out of $25,000 in cash.

Mohammed Alam pleaded guilty to the third-degree crime Monday following a plea agreement with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley, according to a news release from Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey.

Alam faces a sentence of probation and paying the full $25,000 in restitution to his victims when he is sentenced March 8 by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Bucca.

Alam conspired with parties from a call center in India that used his Edison-based company, Infusion Micro, LLC, to accept payments from the unsuspecting victims, according to the news release.

The scam was initially uncovered by Detective Sgt. Aaron Wojtkowski of the Newbury, Massachusetts Police Department after a resident in that community reported she had been contacted by someone on behalf of Microsoft. The caller claimed the elderly victim had a problem with her computer and for a fee the problem could be fixed remotely, according to the news release.

As part of the scam, the investigation found residents in Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia were cheated between Aug. 1, 2015 and Jan. 1, 2018.

Edison Detective Leslie Yackel arrested Alam June 12 and charged him with theft by deception, a third-degree crime, according to the release.

“The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute scammers who prey on the vulnerable,” said Carey, who thanked the Newbury Police Department for their cooperation on the case.

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People who receive phone calls seeking money should verify the legitimacy of the call by contacting the police, the actual company or by having a friend or relative verify the caller’s information, according to the release.